Plans to add extra lanes to one of region’s busiest roads

EXTRA lanes are being considered to try and ease traffic congestion on one of souteast Queensland’s busiest coastal routes.

School traffic from St Michael's trying to get onto Bribie Island Rd from Old Toorbul Pt road

PLANS are being drawn-up to upgrade one of this region’s busiest roads - and they could see notorious traffic bottlenecks upgraded from two lanes to four.

Surveyors are working on Bribie Island Road to determine what upgrades are needed for the 19km stretch from the Bruce Highway to Bribie Bridge. A TMR spokeswoman said residents would still need to wait at least another year before plans were finalised.

In March 2018 the Premier and Minister for Trade Anastasia Palaszczuk said, in a letter to State LNP MP for Pumicestone Simone Wilson, that $3 million had been allocated for planning to upgrade a two-lane section of Bribie Island Rd to a four-lane median divided carriageway between Hickey Rd and Saint Rd intersections.

Problem intersection, Old Toorbul Point Rd and Bribie Island Rd.

“This planning, which includes the Old Toorbul Point Rd intersection, is underway,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

But Ms Wilson said the Old Toorbul Point Rd intersection project “cannot commence (as we understand it) until the Saints to Hickey Rd upgrade planning project is completed as it is reliant somehow on the outcomes of this”.

Ms Wilson also claimed the initial $3 million for planning was cut back to $2 million in the 2018/19 State Budget and the project was pushed back to 2020/21 (originally 2019/20).

The TMR spokeswoman said planning on the upgrade requirements to Caboolture-Bribie Island Rd between Hickey Rd and Saint Rd was scheduled to be completed by mid-2020.

“The planning is also informing the design for a funded intersection upgrade of Caboolture-Bribie Island Rd and Old Toorbul Point Rd,” the spokewoman said.

“$10.4 million is allocated for the Old Toorbul Point Rd and Bribie Island Rd intersection upgrade.”

Construction is expected to start in the 2019-20 financial year.

“The road will remain open during construction and traffic control and changed traffic conditions will be in place to ensure the safety of motorists and road workers,” the TMR spokeswoman said.

“Motorists will be provided with advance notice of the changed traffic conditions.”